Defensive End Christopher Burgess Commits To Notre Dame

Notre Dame has picked up an important commitment with Chicago (Ill.) Simeon defensive end Christopher Burgess Jr. committing to the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame beat out Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan to land the 6-4, 240-pound edge player. It is a huge pickup for Notre Dame, who continues to look to upgrade its talent along the defensive line.

Notre Dame has been recruiting Burgess for over a year and he has been a top priority since the Irish began focusing on the 2025 class. A toolsy player that is still developing his game, Burgess adds the high upside/impact potential that Notre Dame wants and needs more of up front.

Burgess made six trips to Notre Dame over the last year, but he also made multiple trips to Ohio State and Michigan, who also made him a top priority. Landing Burgess is a big win for defensive line coach Al Washington and the recruiting staff that is led by Chad Bowden. It gives the Irish yet another victory over Ohio State in the 2024 and 2025 cycles. 

Notre Dame has been working hard to get back into dominating the Chicago area, and Burgess is another important key to making that happen. Burgess is the third Illinois player to commit to Notre Dame in the 2025 class, with him joining Elmhurt, Ill. natives Joseph Reiff and Dominik Hulak, who are also defensive players.

Burgess is one of the best defensive ends in the 2025 class, ranking as the nation's No. 61 overall player and No. 6 strongside end according to Rivals. On top of offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan, Burgess also had offers from Georgia, LSU, USC, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Maryland, Colorado, Boston College, Minnesota, Indiana and Arizona State.

Burgess joins a 2025 recruiting class that also includes elite quarterback Deuce Knight, running backs Daniel Anderson and Justin Thurman, tight end James Flanigan, offensive tackle Will Black, defensive tackle Davion Dixon, defensive end CJ May, cornerback Cree Thomas and elite safety Ivan Taylor to go with Hulak and Reiff.